Chapter Fifty One

When they were all gone that day, Kim and Ria sat at the table to listen to me. Ria was pissed that I didn't say Hi to Henry, despite all her sermons and Kim, she was completely lost.

"Start talking! You guys have hidden enough. What's with that guy and your awkwardness? You two!" Kim yelled.

Ria smiled. It wasn't funny to me though.

"Who should start first then?"Ria asked.

"You. You planned this whole awkward arrangement. And the tension between your boss and Paige should be explainable."

She nodded playfully. "You know, I was also surprised that he stared at her throughout breakfast and after, until our baby girl ran up to her room to cry."She laughed. I threw a pillow at her. "I invited them over fine! But I can't explain that "awkwardness". "

"Let's start with the five-star four-course meal you asked us to cook." Kim seemed impatient. Who wouldn't be? Ria was giving a lot of clues and saying nothing at the same time.

"Once we went to a party."I decided to explain that myself. "She got me drunk..."

"On red wine!"Ria chipped in.

"Whatever."I snorted. "Then I told her things I wished I had done while I was younger. Things like eating a four-course meal round a table with my favourite friends around me. That's where she must have gotten the idea from."

"And she's just too ungrateful to say a little "thank you for making my childhood dream come true""Ria hissed.

Thanks for making my childhood dream come true, that didn't sound right.

"Next. Why did you invite the school band? What about the church? They'd have been better than strangers."Kim asked.

"My dear Kim, they aren't strangers to us. Well, you made new friends, didn't you?"

Kim winced. "That's not an appropriate answer."

Ria cleared her throat. "You see? I found something in her journal. She had found a person who looked exactly like her once gone lover and you know who that person is? "

She didn't wait for an answer.

"Henry! My boss!"

I winced. Kim pouted her lips, she hadn't seen that coming. She smiled.

"This looks more interesting than I thought. Paige, would you... explain... please?"

"Lord, how do I even start?"I bit my lips. "You guys should stop staring at me. My brain would go blank."

They laughed and turned their faces away.

"Oh! Can't I do this another time?!"

"No. Because I can't wait."Kim said.

"He was not a lover. He's Damien."I bit my lip. "I loved him. He loved me back, but we were so young. We were best friends. He taught me music. That same guy I told you about. I was obsessed with him so much that... I still am."

I paused, they were still silent. How much they loved stories!

"When I met Henry, I thought I had gone crazy. Maybe I'm the only one seeing Damien's face on his face. Really, that might be right but... I can't help it. I know Damien when I see him. I see Damien, my Damien, but the real Damien is dead! He was killed right in front of me."

"My friend needs a therapist,"Ria said.

"Be nice Ria."Kim scolded. "Paige, how old were you both?"

"I was sixteen. He was seventeen. That was about three years ago."

"What?!"Ria shrieked. "I had a boyfriend at fifteen! You were not young!"

"Oh really, I do not think that! And you should not compare your own life with others when you don't know what their shoes look like!" I decided to stand up for myself.

"Calm down Paige, you're freaking out!"Kim said. 

I was calm.

"I'm sorry. I talk too much."Ria apologized. 

"Are you finding it hard to believe that Damien is dead?"

"Not until I met Henry. And if I continue to see him, I'm sure I'll end up in a psychiatrist's hospital anytime soon."

They were quiet for a while.

"Do you have any idea of his pictures? You might not be the only one seeing that. It might be true."

"I moved out of that country with nothing of him. Not even my phone."My eyes suddenly went watery, I didn't want to cry.

"You know, I believe you, Paige. I told you that already. It might be real. They might be brothers..." Ria went on with faked seriousness.

"Possibly,"Kim interrupted her. "I do not support the idea of staying away from him. Obviously, he ..."

"Likes you!" they echoed.

"And if I'd judge from the Korean love stories I'd watched. I would say, you like my boss, that's why you see Damien on his face..."

I threw a pillow at her. Always unreasonable, I thought she was getting serious a while ago.

"You should at least ask him,"Kim said.

"My boss is an unreadable fellow. But I read him today. Weird! He has different kinds of moods and the songs he writes get me thinking. If you're the girl he's waiting for then..."

"My Damien is dead."

Gush, I even have the video of how he was killed with me!

"Maybe he has reincarnated." Ria chipped in.

"Can't you spend a minute without a joke?!" Kim asked Ria. 

"You know I can't."She winked at her with a puppy smile.

"Surprise my boss Paige, I'll give you his home address. Visit him when you have the chance."

"That's impossible!"

"I agree with Ria this time. You should. At least go thank him for that food. Gush, I enjoyed myself and trust me when I say he did it all. I only help with the cutting and washing."

"Oh okay"I moaned. Ria came behind me and hugged me. She planted a kiss on my hair and whispered, "I'm sorry."

I looked up at her and she kissed my lips.

"Sorry, you're too beautiful."She winked.

"Oh my... I'm jealous of you two,"Kim said.

"I'm coming over ma'am."Ria walked over to her and kissed her lips. What's with this girl? She's so flirty around girls. I thought.

"Ria, do you have a boyfriend?"

"Have you ever seen me with a guy?"She asked.

"No, that's why I'm asking."

"They're jerks!"She hissed. "I'm done with them."

"Me too."Kim agreed. 

"Is that why you flirt a lot with ladies?"

She threw me pillows, laughing loudly. It was so contagious that we all joined in.

Then my phone beeped, it was Jude Kam. I sighed.

"Paige, come over to the house."He hung up.

I frowned. They noticed.

"What was that?"

"Nothing. I gotta go somewhere now. You two should get a boyfriend!"I yelled and stormed out.